'Bidenese' returns interpreters and translators to a linguistic safe zone
Japanese translators made news when they expressed difficulties in translating former U.S. President Donald Trump. So, how are they doing with Joe Biden?
LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai gives us an object lesson in referencing proverbs
LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai was called out for using the term "tazan no ishi," which in English can be described as an "object lesson."
Put your yen to work with the language of investing
If you're looking at investing in your Japanese ability, check out some terms that center around the stock market.
Does Google Translate make foreign language learning unnecessary? Not quite
Idioms and other turns of phrase are often taken literally when left to Google Translate to make sense of things. That means translator jobs are safe for now.
What makes beautiful Japanese? It's as simple as a morning greeting
A word that sounds good rolling off the tongue? Or an everyday greeting that lets people know you care? Japanese speakers sound off on what words they think are beautiful.
Achieving solidarity requires more than words
With the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we're reminded of the solidarity of the people of Tohoku. Now if only we could find that unity in our politics.
Emergency Japanese that, fingers crossed, you'll never need to use
As with most disasters, it's better if you do your preparations for some scenarios while things are safer. Of course, that includes knowing the language of emergencies.
Japanese vaccine vocabulary is just what the doctor ordered
With coronavirus vaccines slowly making their way through the country, it's as good a time as any to administer a shot of new Japanese words and terms.
Make your feelings about a situation crystal clear with ‘okage de’ and ‘sei de’
The words “okage de” and “sei de” both mean “because of,” but they have opposite nuances, with the former expressing a sense of gratitude and the latter expressing blame.
The art of the Japanese pun: From classic poetry to dad jokes
Wordplay is used in a non-comical way even in traditional Japanese dishes at the holidays, with the names of ingredients recalling expressions of good tidings.
Casting the demons out with some fiendish Japanese idioms
Setsubun comes before the arrival of spring and it's marked by efforts to cast demons out of your home. However, we can't get the demons out of the Japanese language.
Radical recombinations: Capture the moment with created kanji
A yearly contest asks Japanese speakers to come up with new kanji to reflect modern times, providing a fun way to learn and understand the characters.
